Freight-car.



C. McCULLOUGH.

FREIGHT CAR.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 30, I914.

Patented Apr. 4,1916.

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C. McCULLOUGH.

FREIGHT GAR.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 30. 19m.

1,1'7,251. Patented Apr. 4,1916.

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CHARLES MCCULLOUGH, 0F HAINES, OREGON.

FREIGHT-CAR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 30, 1914. Serial No. 874,898.

To all whom it may concern 0 Be it known that I, CHARLES MOCUL- LOUGH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Haines, in the county of Baker and State of Oregon, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Freight-Cars, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is, in general, to provide an improved form of freight-car, embodying novel mechanism to facilitate the loading of sheep, or other cattle, on a train of freight-cars.

Another object is to provide mechanism of the character noted which will dispense with the necessity of a switch-engine and crew to spot every car, as is required. at present in loading sheep on freight-cars, and to thereby save the railway company and the stockmen time and money. My invention enables any number of cars in a train to be loaded from one spotting, which thus effects a considerable saving intime and eX- pense.

. Another object of the invention is to provide mechanism of the character referred to which may be easily and conveniently applied to the standard form of freight-car, without reorganizing the same, and without adding appreciably to the cost thereof.

Another object is'to providemechanism of the character mentioned which will be simple in construction, and positive and reliable in "operation; and which may be folded into inoperative position, when not in use, so as to occupy minimum space.

With these objects in view, and others going to make up the ultimate perfection of the device as an entirety, the invention con sists, broadly stated, in cooperating mechanism carried by the adjacent ends of two ad jacent cars placed end to end and spaced apart, 6., out of contact with each other, said mechanism, when in operative position, forming a bridge between the adjacent ends of the two cars.

- The invention is graphically illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which, as an illustratory example, I have shown one form of' embodiment' of my invention capable of carrying out the underlying principles thereof; and in these drawings like reference-characters denote corresponding parts throughout the several views. The various figures or views of the drawings may be briefly described as follows:'

Figure 1 is a fragmentary-topplan view of a train of freight-cars equipped with my invention; Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side elevation, partly broken away, of two adjacent frelght-cars, showing the application of my invention thereto; Fig. 3 is an end view of a freight-car, showing the application of my invention thereto; Fig. 4; is a fragmentary horizontal. sectional view of two adjacent freight-cars, equipped with my invention; and Fig. 5 is a fragmentary perspective detail view, looking toward one end of a freight-car carrying my invention.

Referring, now, in detail to the drawings: 1 and 2 represent two freight-cars, the ends of which are provided with openings 3, in this instance rectangular in shape. Secured to one of the vertical side walls 4 of each opening, as by hinges 5, 5, is a swinging door 6. The doors 6 are peculiarly disposed, that is to say, the two doors carried by each car (one door at each end thereof) are hinged on opposite sides of the car-ends.

Fig. 3 illustrates the closed position of one of the doors 6, in which position it registers with the opening or door-way 3, closing passage therethrough. From said closed position, the door may be swung to the open position thereof, shown in Figs. 1, 2, at and 5.

Suitable means for maintaining the doors in open position are provided, and, in this instance, these means preferably comprise (see more particularly Fig. 5) a rod 7, having, at one end thereof, an eye 8, whereby said rod may be pivotally carried by one of the doors 6, toward the lower end thereof, and having, at the other end thereof, a hook 9 removably engageable with a staple 10 carried by the opposite door hinged to the adjacent car. The rod 7 thus extends transversely of the vertical, parallel doors 6, 6, and connects them in the open position thereof.

Carried by each car transversely of the opening 3, at each end of the car, and toward the bottom of said opening, is a bar 11, preferably square in cross section, for a purpose presently to appear.

When the doors 6,6 are in open position, the space therebetween is adapted to be bridged, at the bottom, by a bridge, which, in this instance comprises platforms or tiltable plates 12, 12, each of which is loosely hinged on one of the bars 11 by what I term lock hinges 13, which, in this instance, are straps bolted to the platforms 12,

Patented Apr. a, mic.

and provided, intermediate their ends, with -curved loops 14, which embrace the bars 11 when the platforms 12 are in horizontal position. Each strap 13 also comprises two, parallel, spaced arms, which bear upon the upper and lower surfaces of a platform 12 and are bolted thereto. Thus, it will be noted, by reference to Fig. 2, where one of the platforms 12 is shown in vertical position and the other platform in horizontal position, that, when the bar 11 rests in the loop-portion 14 of the strap 13, the platform 12 may be raised and lowered; but, when it is desired to lock the platform in a vertical position (see the door 12 on the right-hand car shown in Fig. 2), it is raised to such vertical position and then permitted to drop, by gravity, slightly, until the bar 11 rides out of the loop-portion 14 and rests between the parallel arms of the strap 13, when, by reason of the bar 11 being square in cross section and fitting snugly between the parallel, spaced arms of the strap 13, the platform 12 will be locked in such vertical position.

When a pair of complemental platforms 12, 12 are in horizontal position, they overlap each other, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4, and said overlapping ends may be supported by the rod 7 which extends transversely beneath said overlapping ends.

It will thus be noted that my invention contemplates the provision of a common means for maintaining the doors 6, 6 in open position, against movement in either direction, and for supporting the bridge 12, 12 in operative position; and that, in this instance, said common means take the form of the rod 7. It will be noted, also, that each pair of complemental doors 6, 6 and each pair of complemental bridge-platforms 12, 12, when in operative position, cooperate to form, as it were, a runway or chute between the adjacent, spaced ends of two adjacent freight-cars disposed end to end, whereby the sheep, or other animals loaded onto, say, the rear car in a train may travel through the connected cars, from one car to another; thus the entire train of cars may be loaded from one end of the train.

In operation, supposing the parts of my device to be in inoperative, that is, in closed position, as shown in Fig. 3, where it will be seen that the door 6 has been closed so as to register with the door-way 3, and the platform 12 has been raised into vertical position so as to lie parallel with and close to the door 6, these parts thus occupying minimum space in the freight-car: The doors 6 are swung open to the position shown in Figs. 1, 2, 4 and 5, the rods 7 are hooked in the staples 10, and the bridge-platforms 12 raised slightly, vertically, so as to cause the loop 13 to engage the bar 14, whereupon said platforms may be and are swung down-- ward, so as to overlap each other and rest upon the rod 7, which limits downward movement of said bridge-platforms.

For the purpose of a full disclosure of my invention, I have herein described, in some detail, a specific embodiment thereof; but it will be apparent that numerous changes might be made in the physical embodiment of my invention, within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit,.of the invention, or sacrificing any of its advantages; and I do not,

therefore, desire to be understood as limiting myself, in the broader aspect of my invention, to the specific construction shown and described. 1

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters-Patent is: V

1. In a freight-car having an opening at one end thereof, a bar carried by said car.

transversely of said opening, near the bottom thereof, and a verticallyswinging bridge hinged on said bar, said hinge comprising two, spaced, parallel arms bearing upon the upper and lower surfaces of said bridge and cooperating with said bar to lock said bridge in vertical position.

2. In a freight-car having an opening at one end-thereof, a bar carried by said car transversely of said opening, near the bottom thereof, and a vertically swinging bridge hinged on said bar, said hinge comprising a curved loop-portion encircling or embracing said bar and two, spaced parallel arms bearing upon the upper and lower surfaces of said bridge and cooperating with said bar to lock said bridge in vertical position.

3. The combination with two freight-cars of, of a horizontally-swinging door carried by each of said adjacent ends and controlling passage through the corresponding opening, a tiltable bridge carried by each car transversely of said opening, toward the bottom thereof, and common means, including a member carried by one of said doors, for connecting said doors in the open position thereof and for supporting said bridges in horizontal position.

5. The combination with two freight-cars disposed end to end and out of-contact, and

having openings in the adjacent ends thereof, of a horizontally-swinging door carried by each of said adjacent ends and controlling passage through the corresponding opening, a tiltable bridge carried by each car transversely of said opening, toward the bottom thereof, and common means, including a rod carried by one of said doors, for connecting said doors in the open position thereof and for supporting said bridges in horizontal position.

6. The combination with two freight-cars disposed end to end and out of contact, and having openings in the adjacent ends thereof, of a horizontally-swinging door carried by each of said adjacent ends and controlling passage through the corresponding opening, a tiltable bridge carried by each car transversely of said opening, toward the bottom thereof, and a rod pivotally Carried by one door and engageable with the other door for maintaining said doors in open position and in parallel relationship, when the bridge is down.

7 The combination with two freight-cars disposed end to end and out of contact, and having openings in the adjacent ends thereof, of a horizontally-swinging door carried by each of said adjacent ends and controlling passage through the corresponding opening, a member disposed transversely of each of said openings, near the bottom thereof, a tiltable bridge pivotally connected to each of said members, and a rod pivotally carried by one door and engageable with the other door for connecting said doors in the open position thereof.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES MCGULLOUGH.

Witnesses:

G. A. STOCK, W. D. BEcK.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G. 

